“Any pressure I put on me is from me,” said Bailiff, who has three years remaining on a contract that runs through the 2013 season. “We’ve got to figure out ways to get it done.”

Since going 10-3 and winning the Texas Bowl in 2008, the Owls have lost 17 of their last 21 games. In four seasons, Bailiff is 17-29 overall and 13-16 in C-USA.

Bailiff said he has high expectations for the Owls, which include leading the nation in graduation rate and qualifying for a postseason bowl on an annual basis.

“When I don’t achieve those expectations, damn right I’m upset,” Bailiff said. “I want to make this the flagship (school) of Conference USA — and I think that’s what we’re going to do.”

Books and bruises

In the classroom, the Owls have remained among the best in the nation, ranking fourth in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a 93-percent graduation rate, according to the NCAA Graduation Success Rate released in October.

On the field, the Owls have been confronted with more than a dozen key injuries this season and a challenging non-conference schedule that included four BCS opponents. Statistically, the Owls rank at the bottom in nearly every major defensive category.

The Owls appeared poised to build some momentum after upsetting crosstown rival Houston in the annual Bayou Bucket game on Oct. 16. However, the Owls lost to UCF 41-14 the following week and were embarrassed by Tulsa 64-27 last Saturday despite two weeks to prepare.

Greenspan said he believes the football program — and the athletic department in general — are heading in the right direction, but “we can’t use a shotgun at Rice ... we have to be very precise with a rifle.”

Some of the challenges confronting Rice are tougher academic standards, a smaller budget and much-needed upgrades in its facilities, particularly at Rice Stadium. Greenspan said he’d also like the Owls to play more favorable non-conference schedules. Next year’s schedule includes four BCS opponents — Texas, Baylor, Northwestern and Purdue.

Fundamentally down

“I’m not going to use any of those as an excuse, and I’m glad David doesn’t,” Greenspan said. “While we all want short-term fixes, most important is long-term success. That’s why I say you have to have the fundamentals in place — the budget, the facilities, the staff — so as we have success we can sustain it.”